Cessna T188C accident near Snyder, Texas, September 24, 1996
On September 24, 1996 at about 7:28 pm local time, a Cessna T188C, registered N9537J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Snyder, Texas (Winston Field). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with a pole resulting in the separation of the left aileron and a loss of aircraft control. A factor was the haze.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 1996 · about 7:28 pm local time
- Place
- Snyder, Texas · Winston Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T188C · all T188Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9537J · registry record · serial T18803817T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a local aerial application flight maneuver, the pilot, watching for wires at the entrance area to the field, saw the transmission wires, and nosed the airplane over to clear the wires; however, the left wing had 'blanked out a pole and he dove into the pole.' The pilot flew the airplane to the airport and during the landing flare/touchdown, when the power was reduced, he lost control of the airplane and the airplane veered to the left with the left wing striking the ground. The airplane cartwheeled, came to stop in an upright position, and a post impact fire erupted in the area of the engine fuel lines. Witnesses extinguished the fire. The left wing tip, aileron, and several feet of the wing were located adjacent to a downed powerline pole. Paint transfer was found on the pole. Overcast ceilings and haze were report in the area.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 500 in the last 90 days; 120 in the last 30 days; 2,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,274 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 26, 1996; 219 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-T (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SNK at 6:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,599 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.